TARANAKI AND WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 13, 26 September 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

TARANAKI AND WANGANUI.

By the “Victoria,” which arrived yesterday, we have dates to the 7th September. The rumour prevalent in town, on Saturday and Sunday, that five soldiers had been murdered by the natives on their way to relieve guard at the Omata block-house, is definitely contradicted. There is no truth in the report, although the natives show a turbulent spirit. Mr. Commissioner Rogau has returned, without effecting anything iu the settlement of the Waitara question, and Mr. Justice Johnston has gene South. The following paragraph from the Wanganui correspondent of the Tarunaki Herald will give an idea of the state of affairs among the .natives in that district:—

“We are anxiously looking for the next news from Auckland, to know whether the new ministry are in for good, or whether they in their turn will be ousted. Mr. Fox will find himself greatly mistaken if he imagines that the present state of affairs is to be settled by negoeiation, and that the Waikatoes will be persuaded to give up their king quietly. All the natives this way who know anything about it, positively assert that Waikato will not give up their king. Some of the Eangitikei natives who have lately been in communication with Waikato have received letters urging them to uphold the king. This does not look like submission. Late information from Eangitikei reports that, the natives in that district (Ngatiawas) are very insolent, and ripe for anything. They despise the Queen’s law, and act as though no sucli institution existed. Here is a case in point, which came nnder the notice of the authorities. A Eangitikei settler named Gleosou owned a cowsaid cow (I suppose rather violent in temper) made a rush at a Maori woman who was passing her in a red blanket, and gored her severely—so much so that it is doubtful whether she recovers. The tribe to which the woman belongs assembled in “king” runanga, and gave judgment as follows :—The cow, being an inferior animal, had shed the blood of a woman, which was precious, therefore the cow must suffer death. Their authority is the law of Moses, which in the Book Exodus saith—that if an ox do wound a man or a woman, that ox shall be put to death, and if the owner-of such ox is aware that the animal is in the habit of rushing at people the owner shall suffer death also. In accordance with this decision the rununga dispatched two of their people to execute the verdict, and notices were stuck up in two parts of the district apprising the settlers of such decision. The cow was forcibly taken out of pound, and slain by the executioners. At the court at Eangitikei, held there monthly by Major Duric,Ecsidcnt Magistrate of Wanganui, Gleeson lodged his complaint ; said he was willing to pay damages for the injury his cow had done, but objected to its being killed in accordance with the decision of the “runanga kingi.” Major Durie found, however, that it would be utterly useless to issue a summons for these fellows, and the assessors, Nepia and others, plainly told him so, and advised him not to try the experiment, as they were powerless in enforcing the Queen’s law. They would, said they, only tear up the summons and treat it with contempt. Nothing was, therefore, done, and the law remains a dead letter so far as the natives are concerned. It is a humiliating stale of things, and I think that we may safely accept it as an axiom that the more you concede to a savage or semi-barbarous race the more unreasonable they become ; and I quite agree with Cracroft Wilson’s sentiments as delivered in the house on the want of confidence motion. Nothing short of enforcing the Queen’s authority and bringing the Maori into complete subjection to her must be done to ensure peace and prosperity to this island.—Recent intelligence from the north says the Waikatoes will not give up their king for Governor Grey, and that Ngatiruanui and Taranaki will be guided by the Waikatoes in everything. A large Maori meeting takes place about 15 miles up the river on the 2nd of September,

when the policy of upholding tho king or not will be discussed by the river and inland tribes. I hope to bo able to send you a report by next steamer.